The Messenger of Death

"Sir." The guy called Crop didn't know what to do, his master had asked him to search everyone here, while the rest had agreed to let him search their storage devices, this particular individual seemed to be against it.

Crop turned back and looked at the head alchemist.

"Boy, you better comply before things get dirty." The head alchemist threatened.

"I don't like people going through my stuff, take my word, I am not the one that stole whatever you are looking for." Al locked his gaze with the head alchemist.

"You impudent brat, with your weak strength you still dare to look me in the eye?!" The head alchemist was irritated by Al's confidence.

['Hey mutt, I thought you said that I shouldn't get on the bad side of people that we couldn't take on, why are pissing the short guy off?'] Alex questioned.

['Should I just stand aside and let them search the storage ring? We are the thieves, I can't do that. There are times where you should back down and times where you are to stand your ground. The difference between the two of us is that I know when to stand my ground and when to back down.'] Al replied sternly.

Alex was hit by what he said. ['Then are you just going to frustrate the dwarf until he can't help but beat us to death?'] Alex asked.

['No, I need him to be angry. The more he insists that I let them search the storage device, the more I refuse. When the time is right, I will let him and everyone here believe that stealing is beneath us.'] Al stated.

['And how do you plan on doing that?']

['Sit tight and watch rabbit. I hope it works.']

"Alex," Camron whispered. 'A royalty will surely be against people looking through their personal belongings. He certainly won't let these people search his ring.' Camron thought.

"Hey lazy bum, this isn't the time for you to be stupid. Let them search your ring and be on our way, it's not like you are guilty. We have all been inside the tea house so none of us are the culprits." Neko looked at Al antagonistically.

Al scoffed at what Neko said and kept his reply to himself.

"I refuse to let anyone look into my storage ring." Al declared.

"Then I would just have to force it out of you, impudent brat." The head alchemist pronounced.

"Clearly I'm not the brat here," Al whispered.

"What!?" Despite Al's tone and how low his whisper was, the head alchemist heard what he said. "You must want to die very much, kid."

"Head alchemist," Camron quickly arrived in front of Al and blocked him from the head alchemist's sight. "I am willing to put my life on the line for my friend, he didn't steal what you are looking for. We have all been in the tea house, no one left. For someone to be able to steal something from under your nose, then the person must be really strong and talented. My friend over here is only a rank-3 nascent realm cultivator, how would he be able to steal anything from you without being caught." Camron to Al's defense.

"That's true." Muttering came from the crowd around them.

['Cute.'] Lex mentioned, referring to Camron's loyalty.

['Cute? The retard is spoiling my plans.'] Al complained.

['But he has proved his loyalty, even if he doesn't know the truth, for him to put his life on the line for us. He is worthy of being a friend of ours.'] Xander concluded.

"And who are you? Do you think that your life is worth anything?" The head alchemist vindictively uttered at Camron.

"My name is Camron Avanti." He placed his fist in his palm and gave a courteous bow.

The head alchemist froze for a moment, even he knew that Camron's family was not the type he should risk messing with. While they were not a family of cultivators, their connections were worthy to be frightened of.

Nonetheless, the head alchemist masked his hesitance with a frown on his face. "Just because you're from a prestigious family doesn't mean that he will be excluded from the search." The head alchemist spoke with a lit bit of respect now.

"I refuse to let my personal belongings be seen by eyes other than mine, I trust no one." Al interrupted their conversation.

"I will make you-"

"I am willing to pay for the stolen goods." Camron quickly said before the head alchemist could complete his sentence.

"What!?" 

The crowd was shocked by Camron's statement.

"Why would you be willing to pay for something that you didn't steal or take? Are you trying that hard to cover for your friend?" The head alchemist too was shocked by his offer.

"No, I am certain that my friend is innocent, what I do not understand is why you are insisting on searching an innocent person. The real culprit must have bailed the moment they took it." Camron reasoned.

"Because I can still sense the pills but I can't pinpoint it. I had a tracking rune inscribed on the pills, the moment they disappeared from the show glass I could tell that they had been moved. Then they appeared somewhere close to this place, meaning the culprit was bold enough to stay and watch what was going to happen. Now, do you expect me to believe that everyone here is innocent without confirming it first?" The head alchemist said in reply to Camron's question.

"But we are not capable of stealing from you." Camron insisted.

"That's true, I was with Alex and we were too busy for him to think of anything like that," Miriam spoke in Al's defense.

"The prime minister's daughter, this doesn't concern you." The head alchemist dismissed her contribution to the case.

"Why not let me confirm with my own eyes? If he is innocent then I will let him be."

"Sir, it is illegal to check other people's storage devices without a warrant… just call a price then I would pay. My friend is very stubborn and I am afraid that this might lead to something else." Camron stated.

"He is stubborn and so am I, this is something that is above your budget. Move aside Avanti." 

The head alchemist used his telekinesis to restrain Camron's movement. Now he couldn't speak or interfere. He began to close the distance between him and Al slowly.

"If he can't afford it then I can," Al stated.

['What are you doing, Al?'] Alex questioned.

['It is better I show them a bit of my wealth and make them believe that I can afford more than the pills that we stole, that way he wouldn't have to search us. And don't worry, I don't plan on giving the dwarf a penny from our wealth.']

"You? Afford it? You joke a lot, kid."

"How much are the pills that were stolen? 1 green LD-EC?" Al brought out the energy crystal and let it rest upon his open palm.

The head alchemist stopped in his tracks when he saw what Al offered. He wasn't planning on selling the pills for energy crystals, even if it was only a low-density green crystal, when converted to gold it is a lot of money.

"Not enough for you? 2 green HD-ECs." Al increased his offer. 2 HD-ECs appeared on his palm.

Now even the crowd was starting to get jealous of the head alchemist. What Al was offering was a crystal that some of them have only heard of, if one of it was given to a family here, it will be enough to take care of them for years to come. The daughters of the mayor and prime minister saw Al in a new light.

The students from the Beastal and Righteous school looked at Al with shock and a little bit of respect now.

"You must still want more? Alright." He retrieved the green ECs into his ring. "1 purple HD-EC." He uttered slowly. The energy crystal appeared on his palm.

-Blerch!

Neko vomited blood because of how shocked he was. Some of the bystanders in the crowd fainted. The rest just had their mouth hanging.

Those in the seraphim team already knew that Alex was a rich kid, but they couldn't tell how rich he was. Now that he has shown a tip of his wealth, they too were feeling nervous. Only Camron and Al had a normal expression on their faces.

['Kill them with wealth.'] Al uttered.

['Isn't the right saying, kill them with kindness?'] Alex contradicted his statement.

['Shut up, it's only a myth. Don't ruin my moment for me.'] Al muttered.

The head alchemist had forgotten about his stolen pills now. What was in front of him was something that could buy hundreds of the pills he was searching for.

He swallowed the saliva in his mouth and slowly stretched his hand out so that he could collect the energy crystal. The eyes of everyone followed his hand as it got closer to Al's palm.

Al retrieved the energy crystal back into his ring.

"Sorry, but I only showed you my wealth because I wanted you to know that I can afford your stolen pills. It is beneath me to steal." Al had just embarrassed the head alchemist in front of a lot of people.

"You impudent fool, do you think that you can trick me? Thieves are greedy people, while they have stolen a lot of riches they will still steal more. I insist on searching your storage ring."

-Vmmm!

The head alchemist released his aura and directed it at Al.

['Sh*t!'] Al cursed.